Who are you the past whispered? I wasn't sure. Born in Montreal to French - Irish parents and moved to America at age 4, I wasn't able to connect with my roots. The past whispered again and I began my search. The search for my elusive great-grandparents took me to County Cavan, Ireland, northern France and Belgium. The Past Whispers...

TOC

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Sgt. Charles. F. Stankus

Charles was born 12/16/1916 in Victoriatown to Kasimiri and Anastasia Stankus, he had one brother, Alphonse. He worked at the Montreal Drydocks doing various jobs, one being a ships riveter.He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery as a bombadier (gunner) and was sent to the Mediterranan Theatre.

Sgt. Stankus was listed as Missing At Sea on 5/Jul/1943, he left behind a wife, Sophia and son, Charles Joseph.He was awarded:1939-1945 StarItaly StarDefence MedalWar MedalCVSM & claspSgt. Stankus is interred at Cassino War Cemetery in the Commune of Cassino, Province of Frosinone, 139 kilometres south-east of Rome. Panel 14.The site for Cassino War Cemetery was originally selected in January 1944, but the development of the battle during the first five months of that year made it impossible to use it until after the Germans had withdrawn from Cassino. During these early months of 1944, Cassino saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Italian campaign, the town itself and the dominating Monastery Hill proving the most stubborn obstacles encountered in the advance towards Rome. The majority of those buried in the war cemetery died in the battles during these months.There are now 4,266 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated at Cassino War Cemetery. 284 of the burials are unidentified.Within the cemetery stands the CASSINO MEMORIAL which commemorates over 4,000 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the Italian campaign and whose graves are not known. The Memorial was designed by Louis de Soissons and unveiled by Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. The Earl Alexander of Tunis on 30 September 1956.